He added, “This decision was taken at a coordination committee meeting of Haryana, Punjab and the UT held under chairmanship of the Punjab Governor and UT Administrator, Mr V.P. Badnore, at Punjab Raj Bhawan during the day. A notification for blocking mobile internet services and data services is being issued”.

Elaborating further government’s arrangements for tomorrow’s verdict in Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s case, Ram Niwas said, “A Joint Control Room of Haryana and Punjab would be set up at Control Room, Sector-9, Chandigarh, where one police officer from both states would be deployed for better and effective coordination between the police forces to maintain law and order in view of the court judgment in Dera chief case on August 25”.

The state government of Haryana has also decided to request the Ministry of Railways to immediately stop all passenger trains coming to Chandigarh for two days.

He added, “Buses of Haryana Roadways coming to Chandigarh and Panchkula have already been stopped for two days.”

Under section 144 of CrPC, state government has also imposed prohibitory orders in all districts and prohibited all private persons from carrying any kind of weapon.

Ram Niwas added, “Dera followers are being relocated from sensitive areas. Besides extra police force, 18 companies of paramilitary forces would also be available by the evening. Ten senior IPS officers have been deployed and two Additional Director General level officers of the Police Department have also been appointed to ensure peace and help maintain law and order in the state. In addition, 10 Duty Magistrates have been appointed at various locations. Action is being taken by the civil and police administration on the basis of intelligence inputs as and when received.”

Meanwhile, a heavy security blanket has been put in place across Punjab and Haryana ahead of the Panchkula court verdict in a rape case against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

Army too has been kept on standby and will be deployed in case the situation goes out of control. The central government has assured Punjab and Haryana governments of all possible help to prevent any untoward situation.

Punjab government has already imposed Section 144 across the entire state and all schools and colleges will remain shut on 25th August.

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s office in a statement said a complete ban has been issued on carrying of firearms until the situation normalises. A special CBI court in Panchkula will pronounce the verdict on Friday.

The judgement is in connection with 14-year-old rape case against Ram Rahim. It has been learnt that the Dera Sacha Sauda chief was accused with rape charges of a female devotee in 1999. The CBI took over the investigation in 2002.